Eye glasses with individual user awareness

Abstract

A portable item reporting device (PIRD) is configured to detect an individual person's use of conventional consumer eyeglasses. A PIRD includes a microprocessor, memory, one or more environmental detectors (such as optical detectors, motion detectors, cameras, and location detectors, as well as timer elements and possibly calendar elements. With the integrated electronics, the eyeglasses with PIRD may self-identify contexts in which the glasses may be lost, stolen, or misplaced. The eyeglasses with PIRD may also identify when the glasses have been covered over with papers or other objects (such as when set down on a desk), so that the owner of glasses may be at risk of losing or forgetting the glasses. A camera of the glasses may also maintain an ongoing record of user activity when the user is wearing the glasses. The record may aid the user in later identifying other personal items which the user set down and forgot to pick up again.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus for security tracking and monitoring, comprising:
 a consumer eye glass frame configured to receive conventional prescription lenses or sunglass lenses configured to filter light for a human eye without augmenting a direct view of world; 
 a sensor integrated into the eyeglass frame equipped with a video camera of an image recorder; 
 a hardware processor integrated into the eyeglass frame, and configured to:
 receive from the sensor a data on an ambient environment of the eye glass frame, and 
 ascertain based on the received sensor data the ambient environment of a user wearing the frame to assess whether the eye glass frame is at a location other than an expected location according to a current time and a plurality of pre-stored environmental images, and 
 
 a communications element integrated into the eyeglass frame and configured to report on the ambient environment of the eye glass frame and to issue via the communications element a security alert based on the assessment result. 
 
     
     
       2. The hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an integrated location sensor, wherein the hardware processor is configured:
 to assess when the eye glass frame is at a location other than an expected location, and 
 to issue via the communications element an alert that the eye glass frame is at the location other than the expected location. 
 
     
     
       3. The hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising an integrated timer, wherein the hardware processor is configured to:
 identify the expected location for the apparatus based on a current time. 
 
     
     
       4. The hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising an integrated calendar storage, wherein the hardware processor is configured to:
 store in a non-volatile memory of the eye glass frame a pattern of usage of the apparatus by a user of the apparatus; and 
 determine when a current location of the apparatus does not conform to the expected location in accordance with the stored pattern of usage of the apparatus by the user. 
 
     
     
       5. The hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an optical sensor integrated into the eyeglass frame or a camera integrated into the eyeglass frame, wherein the hardware processor is configured to determine via the integrated optical sensor or integrated camera when the eye glass frame is in view and when the eye-glass frame is hidden from view. 
     
     
       6. The hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a motion sensor integrated into the eyeglass frame, wherein the hardware processor is configured to detect a personal identity of a person wearing the apparatus based on a personal motion of the person wearing the apparatus. 
     
     
       7. A hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus for security tracking and monitoring, comprising:
 a consumer eye glass frame configured to receive conventional prescription lenses or sunglass lenses to filter light for a human eye without augmenting a direct view of world; 
 a hardware processor integrated into the eyeglass frame; 
 a memory integrated into the eyeglass frame for, at least, pre-storing a plurality of images of an ambient environment corresponding to a time instant; and 
 an image recorder integrated into the eyeglass frame and comprising at least one of a camera and a video camera, wherein: 
 said image recorder is oriented to detect an image of the ambient environment of a user wearing the eye glass frame; 
 said memory is configured to store the detected images of the environment of the user wearing the eye glass frame; 
 wherein said apparatus is not configured to digitally alter the direct view of the world which is provided via the received conventional prescription lenses or sunglass lenses; 
 ascertaining based on sensor data associated with the ambient environment of a user wearing the frame to assess whether the eye glass frame is at a location other than an expected location according to a current time and the plurality of pre-stored environmental images, and
 reporting on the ambient environment of the eye glass frame and issuing a security alert based on the assessment result. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the memory is configured to store a plurality of detected images, wherein the consumer item is configured to capture a video diary of the environment of the user. 
     
     
       9. The hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a communications element, wherein the consumer item is configured to download from the apparatus the video diary to a configuration computer. 
     
     
       10. The hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising a communications element, wherein the consumer apparatus is configured to download from the apparatus the image of the environment to a configuration computer. 
     
     
       11. A hand-portable, wearable consumer apparatus for security tracking and monitoring comprising:
 a passive portable item, wherein the passive portable item lacks electronic devices and includes, at least, a consumer eye glass frame configured to receive conventional prescription lenses or sunglass lenses configured to filter light for a human eye without augmenting a direct view of world; and 
 an electronic system, wherein the electronic system further comprises: 
 a hardware processor structurally integrated into the passive portable item comprising at least one of a camera and a video camera; 
 a memory structurally integrated into the passive portable item; 
 a signaling element structurally integrated into the passive portable item; 
 an environmental sensor structurally integrated into the passive portable item; and 
 a bus structurally integrated into the passive portable item which communicatively connects the hardware processor, the memory, the signaling element, and the environmental sensor; 
 wherein: 
 the memory is configurable to store an expected state or condition of the passive portable item where the state or condition is indicative of one or more uses of the portable item that includes pre-storing a plurality of images of an ambient environmental corresponding to a time instant; 
 the environmental sensor is configured to detect a current state or condition of the portable item; 
 the processor is configured to determine that there is a discrepancy between the expected state or condition and the current state or condition; and 
 upon determining the discrepancy, the hardware processor is configured to generate an alert of the discrepancy via the signaling device; and 
 wherein the electronic system is structurally integrated with the passive portable item so as to remain structurally integrated within the passive portable item for a life of the apparatus and to remain in an operable state for the life of the apparatus; and 
 ascertaining based on the detected sensor data associated with the ambient environment of a user wearing the portable item to assess whether the portable item is at a location other than an expected location according to a current time and the plurality of pre-stored environmental images, and 
 reporting on the ambient environment of the portable item and issuing a security alert based on the assessment result. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the passive portable item comprises a pair of eyeglasses. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the passive portable item comprises a sporting goods item. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the passive portable item comprises a tennis racquet.